Accusations....Changed

My apologies....when I created the thread yesterday about people claiming there was censorship going on, etc.... I failed to hit on the true points I was trying to make.

So from here on, forget the companies on or off the site - this was never about them. Forget about who has the right to do and say what...not important here.

Here is what I wanted to get across to those visiting this forum:

From this point on, the rules will be applied at all times. At the fault of my own, I allowed things to get out of hand. Stick to these rules, remain on the topic at hand or your posts will be removed and eventually your membership may be revoked as well.

So, please read below and follow these rules closely from this point on:

By completing your registration and becoming a member at LawnSite.com, you have agreed to abide by and follow the rules created by ownership (listed below) at all times. There are no exceptions to the rules. LawnSite.com owned by Lawn Care Success has the right and option to change these rules without prior notice. All of the rules stated below refer to not only the public forums at LawnSite.com, but the Private Forums, e-mail and private messaging as well.

1. Advertising of any kind is not permitted at this site unless you are a sponsor. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, email seanlawnsite@aol.com. This includes mentioning manufacturers, dealers, etc in the forums or through LawnSite.com e-mail or private messaging. You are also not permitted to include phone numbers addresses, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, or web addresses or links in your posts, e-mail, private messages or signature lines.

13. You are not permitted to use LawnSite.com to spam members for any reasons. This includes advertising products or services, promotion of a web site or another Green Industry Forum. LawnSite.com will exercise its rights under the law to pursue legal action in regard to this matter.

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18. If you are banned or suspended from LawnSite.com you are not permitted to register under a new name. Only one user name per person is permitted. All additional user names or new user names without permission from LawnSite.com will be deleted from the system.

20. You are not permitted to post or insinuate false information about members as well as sponsors. If you have never owned or used (at great length) a product offered by one of the sponsors, you are not permitted to comment on the value, validity, or effectiveness of these products or services.

1. Advertising of any kind is not permitted at this site unless you are a sponsor. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, email seanlawnsite@aol.com. This includes mentioning manufacturers, dealers, etc&#8230; in the forums or through LawnSite.com e-mail or private messaging. You are also not permitted to include phone numbers addresses, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, or web addresses or links in your posts, e-mail, private messages or signature lines

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So does this mean you cannot mention eXmark, stihl or echo? This would seem to disqualify 95% of the posts oin this site.

I try to play by your rules. I for one beleive it your site -- if I don't liek it I can -- and will - go somewhere else. I want to make sure I am not breaking your rules.

"Mentioning" a product and "advertising" it are two different things.... I trust that everyone on this forum is intelligent enough to know the difference between the two....no need to get into splitting hairs just to be rebellious

exmark and Stihl are sponsors of the site - post away. Echo is not....still, go ahead and post away. But if you are pushing Echo, trying to push people towards Echo, and eventually it might even become clear that you benefit from pushing Echo, guess what.....you will be gone, your posts will gone, and that's it.

Most members do not see us catching dealers and mfg reps on a regular (almost daily) basis, emailing them, warning them and eventually, quietly removing them from the site.

They play Mr. Innocent....Mr. I'm a Landscaper Like Everyone Else....Mr...... Gimme A Break. Then we go back, check their action as a member...they have 54 posts and 49 of them are the same message over and over again...."this product is the best, this product is junk, trust me...get yourself one of these"...it is never-ending...

So please ladies and gentleman, let's not get ridiculous with trying to overdefine the rules. They are what they are.

So, by being an ExMark dealer, and Exmark being a sponsor on the site, we're supposed to just sit here with our fingers tied and not give any information or recommendations on product? I wonder how much it costs exmark to be a sponsor on a site that doesn't want to allow it's dealers to give brief pro's and con's on different products. I mean, without their forum even here at the time (that I am aware of), I wonder if they are re-evaluating the money they spend here.

How is anyone supposed to know you are an eXmark (not ExMark) dealer? And just because you sell a line does not mean you are an expert on that line. And eXmark has been on this site for a long time. They made it clear they did not want dealers speaking on their behalf. They want people close to production, engineering, sales, etc... to man their forum and speak for them. They have made personnel changes which is why the forum is not manned by an eXmark employee at this time and they have signed on as a respected and appreciated sponsor for another year.

To The Members Who Posted After This.... I made it clear. Follow the rules and remain on topic. This thread is about rules of the site....not how any of you perceive a reputation in any industry is built or maintained.

A student taking a philosophy class had a single question on his final: "What is courage?" The student wrote: "This", signed it, and turned it in.

in Iraq, ever since the beginning of time, men have fought for, land, power, money, and greed. but what are we fighting for? .... we are fighting for something new, we are fighting, because it is the right thing to do.